Melissa's Monday Musings: Trouble Brewing for Kansas City?

By: The Football Girl | Posted: November 04, 2013

To anyone looking for this column last week, I apologize for
not posting. Unfortunately my musings
would have consisted not of anything related to professional football but instead
D.J. selection, bridesmaid dress color and cake flavor. I was a matron of honor
in my cousin’s beautiful wedding last Sunday. (Yes Sunday, an NFL Sunday.)

Longing for any and all NFL action this week, I was more
than thrilled to be glued to my couch for seven-plus hours soaking in what has
become commonplace on Sundays: objectively bad matchups turned into thrilling
games. Onto the musings…

Respect the Keenum

Obviously things were a bit overshadowed by Gary Kubiak’s collapse at halftime but
Cris Collinsworth was at his condescending worst following Case Keenum’s third touchdown to Andre Johnson. Just as Keenum’s
electric contagious celebration was in full swing, Collinsworth had to remind
us that “some guys play above their ability” and that “Keenum didn’t look like
an NFL quarterback at practice.”

Collinsworth is a polarizing broadcaster, one I typically
like for his easy-to-understand explanations of schemes (and wide receiver
routes, in particular). But to talk about Keenum like he’s the second coming of
Tim Tebow was unfair and inappropriate. After all, Keenum already had one start
under his belt where he threw for 271 yards and a 110-passer rating. Just because a quarterback is undrafted
doesn’t make him implausible. Ask the other starting quarterback in Texas.

Trouble Brewing
for Kansas City

The Chiefs barely squeezed out a win against the Bills – the
Jeff Tuel-led Bills. This game was much closer than the final score of 23-13
would indicate. During his postgame presser, Andy Reid acknowledged that his team has some issues although he was
more focused on celebrating its 9-0 accomplishment.

Kansas City continues to be one of the league’s more
dominating defenses although they remind me a bit more of the Bears of
two-to-three years ago than any kind of historically great unit. Stout
smothering line, but one you can run on. And sprinkled with turnover-inducing
playmakers who also give up big plays from time to time.

But clearly the big Achilles’ heel for the Chiefs is their
passing game, currently ranked no. 29 in the league. Alex Smith continues to be hesitant to throw
it deep or into tight windows. Having Dexter
McCluster drop a rare 30-plus yard pass attempt that would have been a sure
touchdown doesn’t help Smith’s confidence.

Despite being 9-0 the Chiefs have only scored 30 points
once, and remember they’ve had a healthy dose of scores via the defense.
Conversely the lowest point total for Denver, who the Chiefs finally face next,
is 33.

Running Back Blues

Two more key running backs suffered injuries Sunday – Darren McFadden left with a hamstring
injury and was ruled out almost immediately.
While Arian Foster, who was
already a game-time decision injured his back in the first quarter and did not
return. We are reaching the point where
we are down to a Big 4 of sorts, the only guys you can expect to produce (or
even see on the field) on a weekly basis. LeSean
McCoy, Adrian Peterson, Jamaal Charles and Frank Gore. That’s it. And
McCoy in scoring his first touchdown in four weeks was in danger of
exclusion. Even though these are the
four backs you’d want right now, it is Ryan
Mathews in San Diego who has produced the only back-to-back 100-yard
rushing games this season.

That being said it was really nice to see Chris Ivory emerge once again for the
Jets. He dominated with 139 yards a touchdown against his former team, one that
never molded him. Rex Ryan likes to employ a “who has the hot hand” attitude
when it comes to usage of Ivory and fellow back Bilal Powell but Ivory has proven to have that extra firepower that
Powell does not.

Foles, Foles,
Foles

Seven touchdowns, only six incompletions. 158.7 passer
rating. Still, I don’t know what to make of Foles. He has started three games
now in 2013. Two of them (yesterday included) have been tremendous offensive
outpourings. But sandwiched in between was Foles’ stinker of a start where he
finished with just 80 yards passing and no touchdowns. Foles certainly appears to be better suited
to Chip Kelly’s offense than Michael Vick. And he’ll have an opportunity for
subsequent monster days. The Eagles face Green Bay and Washington over the next
two weeks, so look for more Peyton Manning comparisons in the final stat lines.
Sigh.

Carolina Dreamin’

Carolina’s much-improved defense is a big reason the
Panthers are surging with four straight wins and stand only one game back of
the division leading New Orleans Saints. But Cam Newton’s maturation on and off the fieldis the real catapult
here. We saw it again Sunday as Newton continued to make smart reads, kept his
poise and didn’t make bad decisions.

Before he wowed us yet again, NFL on FOX pregame shared a
poignant Newton sit-down with Laura
Okmin in which Newton discusses how he has evolved from the sulking player
of 2012 to the confident winner of 2013. FOX cut it down into a TV-friendly
2:45 package but has since released the full interview. It is a much watch.

Every star player needs to have a “deflator” or two.

Manning Withdrawal

Peyton Manning was on a bye. Have you survived? On a much
different not, Eli Manning was on a bye. Have you noticed? Do you think the Manning
request same week byes?